Morpeko and a slew of coveted costumed Pokemon are coming to “Pokemon Go” for the first part of the Halloween event. Beginning at 10 a.m. Oct. 22 and going on to 10 a.m. Oct. 28, players will have a chance at catching the Two-sided Pokemon.
What’s notable is that Morpeko is bringing a new mechanic to the mobile game. It will be the first “Pokemon Go” creature to undergo a change midbattle. It starts off in Fully Belly Mode and has the Charged Attack Aura Wheel (Electric), but when players fire off the move, it goes into Hangry Mode. Its colors change and it tosses out Aura Wheel (Dark).
This option is only available in Trainer and Team Rocket battles. It has 100 power and raises the user’s attack by one stage. The introduction of this new mechanic adds another layer to battle, but more importantly, it could unlock the potential of other “Pokemon Go” creatures. For example, Darumanitan, the evolution of Darumaka, has an in-battle form change along with Wishiwashi.
HOW TO GET MORPEKO IN POKEMON GO
With that said, acquiring Morpeko can be difficult if you don’t play Go Battle League. The Pokemon will be a reward starting at Rank 16. Players can encounter Morpeko in both tracks but it is appears more frequently in the premium track.
If you don’t dabble in Go Battle League, players can still grab Morpeko in Event-themed Field Research Task Encounters. It will also be available in a Paid Timed Research. Stock up on those quests because that’s the only alternative way to grab one for the moment. Afterward, Morpeko is only available in Go Battle League.
NEW MAX BATTLES AND HALLOWEEN SHINIES
Max Battles has had an uneven introduction this season, but Niantic has been slowly adding more Pokemon to this battle type. Players can encounter Gastly in One-Star Max Battles, which means they can be soloed. It’s worth pick them up because the Gas Pokemon can be shiny. Phalanx will also remain in Three-Star Max battles. Players need at least two trainers to take that down.
As for shiny Pokemon, players can expect an increased chance to run into a Shiny Umbreon and Shiny Zorua in the wild. That means it’s smart to have a legendary or shiny pokemon as your buddy so it stands out when Zorua is around.
As for shiny Pokemon, there’s plenty to grab. Zubat, Spinarak, Murkrow, Misdreavus, Shuppet, Drifloon, Purrloin, Female Frillish, Zorua, Litwick, Sabeye and Absol will all be shiny. In raids, trainers should be targeting Yamask and Galarian Yamask as they’re seasonal and rarely appear outside of spooky season.
Those doing Field Research Tasks should look for ones that reward players with Morpeko, but a good consolation prize would be tasks that offer Scraggy and Golett. Both can be shiny and are uncommon spawns in the game.
If you’re a trainer who is obsessed with collecting everything, a $2 paid research will allow players to encounter several costumed Pokemon from past events. That includes witch hat Pikachu, one of the first costumed Pokemon, along with others. Costumed Pokemon are always a must grab because there’s no guarantee that they will be back.
Lastly, those Free-To-Play trainers aren’t forgotten. They’ll have a chance to grab Spiritomb during a free timed research quest that must be completed before the Halloween event ends on Nov. 3.
